Re: paleonet Skolithos linearis

[Judith Harris <harrisj@xxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Thank you Andy and the Reference Librarian Barbara Graff; also the  
list manger Jordi de Gibert for making this available. I am excited  
to find a freshwater trace fossil available from such an old  
publication. I didn't know about it but can use it in the freshwater  
trace fossil section in the paleoecology text that I am writing.

Judith Harris


On Dec 7, 2005, at 9:04 AM, Andy Rindsberg wrote:

> Dear Paleonetters,
>
> Michael Garton and I are pleased to give you all a pdf of the  
> original diagnosis of the trace fossil Skolithos as a holiday treat.
>
> The pdf was scanned by Reference Librarian Barbara Graff from the  
> copy in the U.S. Geological Survey Library in Reston, Virginia. She  
> was pleased to find so much demand (two requests in a day!) for an  
> item 165 years old. At the time of its discovery, Skolithos  
> linearis was the earliest North American trace fossil known  
> (Haldeman's find is now dated as Early Cambrian). The citation is:
>
> Haldeman, S.S. 1840. Supplement to number one of "A monograph of  
> the Limniades, and other freshwater univalve shells of North  
> America," containing descriptions of apparently new animals in  
> different classes, and the names and characters of the subgenera in  
> Paludina and Anculosa. Published by author, Philadelphia, 3 pp.
>
> A few words of explanation: Haldeman named the trace fossil  
> Fucoides? (Skolithos) linearis, that is, with Skolithos as a  
> subgenus probably of Fucoides. He referred to naming it three years  
> previously, but as best as anyone can tell, this did not occur in  
> print. His book on freshwater snails was published by subscription  
> in parts, and most copies of the book do not contain this  
> supplement. Michael ascertained that no complete copies of the book  
> exist in British libraries. The diagnosis is at the end of the  
> supplement.
>
> Thanks to SKOLITHOS List Manager Jordi de Gibert for making the  
> gift available at http://www.ub.edu/taphos05/haldeman.pdf, where it  
> can be downloaded for a few weeks. So don't let this holiday treat  
> get cold!
>
> Best wishes for the New Year,
> Andy
>
> Andrew K. Rindsberg
> Geological Survey of Alabama
>
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judith harris
emerita professor
university of colorado museum
boulder, co
harrisj@valornet.com
505-756-1813